M1330/Hero classes rumor

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"Runemasters are monk-like arcane spellcaster & melee fighters who empower themselves with magical energies by inscribing runes onto their bodies. The runemaster is a free spirit, more at home in the wild than in the city.M&M 33, 34 The runemaster is a mystic who sees the power of ley lines. Moreover, those who study runes understand that these are not simply symbols of power - they are the power. The runemaster seeks to become one with the land, but not in the fashion of druids. Rather, the runemaster desires to become a microcosm of the land, seeking to overlay his body with runes in the same fashion that the land itself is overlaid with patterns of ley lines. MM&M 10

He merges brute strength with arcane magic, covering his body with mystic tattoos and often imbuing them with magical energies to increase his skill in hand-to-hand combat. While a runemaster shuns armor, this is more to prevent hindrances to inscribing his runes than to demonstrate his subtlety and finesse with unarmed strikes. Quite to the contrary, a runemaster prefers to get in the face of his enemies. Using little trickery or subterfuge, the runemaster takes down foes with toe-to-toe, all-out assaults, hammering them with tattooed fists and feet brimming with arcane power. Runic magic is considered primitive yet complex by most other races. The Dwarves have taken to it with deft skill, while the Tauren study it more slowly. M&M 34

The Runemaster plays like a powerful melee rogue with blunt, straightforward damage, good support spells, and a few debuffs. They are support characters who can substantially increase the power of a group as well as add good damage and support while fighting. Depending on your spec and gear, a Runemaster can perform the role of a rogue with heavy hitting melee, become an adequate healer and support class, or double a group’s power with their powerful runes and sigils.

Runemasters can only use Fist Weapons and Staves. Since these weapons are so rare, Runemasters start with an ability called “War Paint”. This increases your unarmed damage by X to Y and lasts for 1 hour. The War Paint ability will increase in strength over time and with talents. Equipping a weapon will deactivate War Paint, and it cannot be cast while equipped with a weapon.

Sustaining Runes

Runemasters must learn to use and sustain runes over to course of their training. This is managed by "Rune Points". As you level and grow, the number of rune points you have access to increases, eventually capping at 15 (20 with talents). Every time you cast a rune or sigil, one point is consumed. To regain this point, a rune or sigil must be deactivated.

Sanctification

Runemasters can only use cloth armor. However, their primary stats are virtually nonexistent on cloth armor. To work around this, Runemasters may "Sanctify" leather armor into a piece of cloth, cutting its armor value, but otherwise retaining its stats and value.

Emblems

Emblems are the Runemaster’s relic. As with the other classes, they augment particular abilities or spells. Example: Emblem of Fury – Increases the damage of your Mighty Strike ability by X.

Shatter

Shatter is one of the class-defining skills of a Runemaster. When used, it breaks any damage absorbing ability, including Power Word: Shield, Mana shield, Ice barrier and is unaffected by Cheat Death.

The Brawling talent tree excels at melee combat. It improves your melee abilities and your overall performance in close combat. There are also two new strikes: Focused Strike and Brawler’s Strike that sufficiently increase your damage output. The primary function of this tree would be for PvP combat and levelling. This tree provides strong damage and decent survivability despite the player's naturally low armor.

The Spirituality tree centers around the stat Spirit (as it should). Spirit is a big part of many of the talents. This talent tree is very PvE centered, but some abilities, such as Point of Focus are also very helpful for PvP. Also, Breath of Life gives the Runemaster a very effective battle res. In addition, Lifegrasp, the Runemasters’ only true healing spell, can be made very effective with Spiritual Healing. This tree is designed around allowing the player to provide moderate output while maximizing the use of support spells and abilities.

Rune of Intensity- Increases the target’s melee and spell critical strike rating by X. The target may only have one type of rune from each Runemaster at a time. Lasts Y minutes. Stacks up to 3 times. Requires reagent (rank dependant). Runes cannot be cast in battle. Costs 1 sustaining point.

Sigil of Fortification- Places a sigil on the ground, decreasing all damage taken by all nearby group members by X. Lasts Y seconds. Only one sigil may be active at a time, sigil effects do not stack. Costs 1 sustaining point.

Sigil of Evocation- Places a sigil on the ground, increasing all nearby group members’ spell damage by X and healing by Y. Lasts Z seconds. Only one sigil may be active at a time, sigil effects do not stack. Costs 1 sustaining point.

Sigil of Renewal- Places a sigil on the ground, increasing all nearby group members’ health regeneration by X and mana regeneration by Y. Lasts Z seconds. Only one sigil may be active at a time, sigil effects do not stack. Costs 1 sustaining point.

The Rune Mastery talent tree makes the Runemaster a buff machine. Runes will be more effective, will stack more, and there will be more of them at one time. The new rune and sigil introduced in this tree are both powerful in their own regard. This tree is designed to be both a viable main tree, with points in Brawling or Spirituality, or as a suitable sub-tree for the other two that excels in all aspects of the game.